120 people registered for the day conference on Incarnational Mission on 9 October 2008 in Oxford. This was was jointly hosted by Urban Expression and the Incarnate Network.
Mike Frost, was the speaker, and is well known for his book Exiles and The Shaping of Things to Come which he co-authored. Mike is a leader of the Small Boat Big Sea missional Christian community in Sydney, Australia and vice-principal of Morling College, Sydney.
The day was spent exploring living out values as missional practices and on incarnational approaches. In the afternoon many were helped by understandings that thiere are two types of church leaders, "chiefs" and medicine men". Both are needed and a creative or unhealthy tension can develop between them.
Mike shared the missional rhythms and practices of his own community SmallBoatBigSea. They encourage one another to live by a simple rhythm expressed in the acronym B.E.L.L.S.
- Seeking to BLESS 3 people each week. One from the community one from beyond and one from either. This might take the form of an encouraging note or email, a phone call, a gift, an act of kindness, ...
- Seeking to EAT with 3 people each week we don't live with. One from the community one from beyond and one from either. This might be a full meal, meeting for a coffee, ...
- Seeking to LISTEN to God. Developing a practice of listening so that we take time, at least once each week, to listen to God's voice. This might take the form of a prayer walk along a beach, mediation, ...
- Seeking to LEARN Jesus each week. Developing a discipline of studying the Scriptures or reading other literature to gain insights into the nature of God. A priority being given to the Gospel stories and to learning Jesus.
- Seeing their life vocation as being SENT by God. Looking for ways in which daily routines are expressions of God’s calling on our lives and recognising the ways in which we have been SENT to do his work.
There has been much positive feedback on the day. Thank are due to Mike.
